Culture and Society Overview
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Questions and Answers

What is the definition of culture?

  • A social group living in the same territory.
  • The totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material and behaviors. (correct)
  • A set of cultural beliefs that help maintain social interests.
  • A specialized language used by members of a group.

What does society refer to?

A fairly large number of people who live in the same territory and participate in a common culture.

Who is Theodore Adorno?

A German philosopher who asserted that the primary effect of popular culture is to limit people's choices.

What is the culture industry?

<p>The worldwide media industry that standardizes the goods and services demanded by consumers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are cultural universals?

<p>Practices and beliefs found in all societies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who compiled the list of cultural universals?

<p>George Murdock.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does ethnocentrism mean?

<p>The tendency to assume one's culture is the norm or superior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural relativism?

<p>Viewing people's behavior from the perspective of their own culture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is sociobiology?

<p>The study of how biology affects human social behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who founded the theory of evolution?

<p>Charles Darwin.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is natural selection?

<p>The process of adaptation to the environment through random genetic variation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is innovation in cultural context?

<p>The process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a discovery?

<p>Making known or sharing the existence of an aspect of reality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is invention?

<p>Combining existing cultural items into a new form.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does diffusion refer to?

<p>The process by which a cultural item spreads from group to group.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is technology in cultural terms?

<p>Cultural information about using material resources to satisfy human needs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What constitutes material culture?

<p>Physical or technological aspects of daily life.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is nonmaterial culture?

<p>Customs, beliefs, philosophies, and communication patterns.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural lag?

<p>A period of maladjustment when nonmaterial culture struggles to adapt.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a subculture?

<p>A segment of society with distinct customs and traditions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an argot?

<p>Specialized language used by members of a subculture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a counterculture?

<p>A subculture that deliberately opposes aspects of the larger culture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is culture shock?

<p>Feeling disoriented or fearful in an unfamiliar culture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is language?

<p>An abstract system of word meanings and symbols.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

<p>The hypothesis concerning the role of language in shaping interpretation of reality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are symbols?

<p>Gestures, objects, and words that form basis of human communication.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is nonverbal communication?

<p>Use of gestures and facial expressions to communicate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are norms?

<p>Established standards of behavior maintained by a society.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are formal norms?

<p>Written rules specifying strict punishments for violators.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are informal norms?

<p>Unwritten rules that are understood but not precisely recorded.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are mores?

<p>Norms deemed highly necessary for the welfare of society.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are folkways?

<p>Norms governing everyday behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are sanctions?

<p>Penalties and rewards for conduct concerning social norms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are values?

<p>Collective conceptions of what is considered good or bad in a culture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a cultural war?

<p>Polarization of society over controversial cultural elements.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is dominant ideology?

<p>Set of cultural beliefs that help maintain powerful social interests.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is bilingualism?

<p>Use of two languages in a particular setting.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural variation from a functionalist perspective?

<p>Subcultures serve the interests of subgroups with ethnocentrism reinforcing solidarity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural variation from a conflict perspective?

<p>Countercultures question the dominant social order and devalue other groups.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural variation from a feminist perspective?

<p>Cultural relativism respects variations in views of men and women across societies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural variation from an interactionist perspective?

<p>Customs and traditions are transmitted through intergroup contact and media.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are norms from a functionalist perspective?

<p>Norms reinforce societal standards.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are norms from a conflict perspective?

<p>Norms reinforce patterns of dominance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are norms from a feminist perspective?

<p>Norms reinforce the roles of men and women.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are norms from an interactionist perspective?

<p>Norms are maintained through face-to-face interaction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are values from a functionalist perspective?

<p>Values are collective conceptions of what is good.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are values from a conflict perspective?

<p>Values may perpetuate social inequality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are values from a feminist perspective?

<p>Values may perpetuate male dominance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are values from an interactionist perspective?

<p>Values are defined and redefined through social interaction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is culture and society from a functionalist perspective?

<p>Culture reflects a society's strong central values.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is culture and society from a conflict perspective?

<p>Culture reflects society's dominant ideology.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is culture and society from a feminist perspective?

<p>Culture reflects society's view of men and women.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is culture and society from an interactionist perspective?

<p>Society's core culture is perpetuated through daily social interactions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Walmart from a functionalist perspective?

<p>Walmart provides food and services to customers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Walmart from a conflict perspective?

<p>Walmart opposes labor unions and is slow to provide health benefits.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Walmart from a feminist perspective?

<p>Walmart limits the role of women in leadership.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Walmart from an interactionist perspective?

<p>Walmart has a history of insensitivity to cultural variations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Culture and Society

  • Culture encompasses learned customs, knowledge, behaviors, ideas, values, and artifacts like DVDs and comic books.
  • Society is a large group of people who share a common culture and heritage within a specific territory.
  • Cultural universals are practices found in all societies, such as the need for food and shelter.

Key Theorists

  • Theodore Adorno criticized popular culture for limiting individual choices.
  • George Murdock compiled a list of cultural universals, noting variations in expression across different cultures.

Cultural Concepts

  • Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture is superior to others.
  • Cultural relativism promotes understanding behaviors within their own cultural contexts.
  • Sociobiology studies the genetic basis of social behavior, suggesting many cultural traits are biologically rooted.

Innovation and Cultural Change

  • Innovation involves the introduction of new ideas or objects into a culture.
  • Discovery is the act of recognizing new aspects of reality.
  • Invention is the combination of existing cultural items into something new.

Cultural Diffusion and Adaptation

  • Diffusion refers to how cultural items spread between groups.
  • Cultural lag is the period when nonmaterial culture struggles to adapt to new material conditions.

Material and Nonmaterial Culture

  • Material culture includes physical aspects of daily life, such as food and buildings.
  • Nonmaterial culture encompasses beliefs, customs, and communication patterns.

Subcultures and Countercultures

  • Subcultures are distinct groups within a larger society with unique customs.
  • Countercultures actively oppose elements of the dominant culture.

Communication and Symbols

  • Language is a system of symbols and meanings that shapes cultural perceptions.
  • Nonverbal communication includes gestures and facial expressions critical for interaction.
  • Symbols serve as the foundation for communication across cultures.

Norms and Values

  • Norms are societal standards of behavior, which can be formal (written rules) or informal (unwritten expectations).
  • Mores are essential norms for societal welfare, while folkways govern everyday behavior.
  • Values represent collective beliefs about what is good or desirable in society.

Cultural Perspectives

  • Functionalist perspective views norms and culture as beneficial to societal stability.
  • Conflict perspective highlights how societal norms and values can perpetuate inequality.
  • Feminist perspective critiques cultural norms that reinforce gender roles.
  • Interactionist perspective emphasizes personal interactions in maintaining culture and norms.

Cultural War and Ideology

  • Cultural wars reflect societal divisions over contentious cultural issues.
  • Dominant ideology maintains the interests of powerful social groups.

Walmart Case Studies

  • From a functionalist view, Walmart serves customer needs by providing food and services.
  • The conflict perspective critiques Walmart’s labor practices and slow response to providing benefits.
  • The feminist perspective points out limitations for women in leadership roles within the company.
  • The interactionist perspective notes Walmart’s insensitivity to cultural variations in customer relations.

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Description

This quiz explores key concepts in culture and society, including the definitions of culture, society, and cultural universals. It also highlights important theorists such as Theodore Adorno and George Murdock, and discusses concepts like ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Test your understanding of how cultural change and innovation impact social behavior.

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